The wind over the Grey Sea stirred the emblem on the Siren's Song's mainsail.
Caroline stood at the bow, one hand on the railing, her dress snapping in the sea breeze.
Behind her, tension gripped the entire fleet.
The sailors checked the ballista winches over and over; fully armed knights silently wiped their longswords; fine beads of sweat covered the chief mage advisor's forehead.
"Miss, we're thirty nautical miles from Minas Tirith." The captain approached her, lowering his voice. "Magical detection shows nothing unusual, but... it's too quiet."
"Maintain the highest alert." Caroline did not turn around. "Veylin said in his letter that the enemy could destroy a port city. This calm may simply be the calm before the storm."
The first mate withdrew silently.
Caroline herself had no idea what awaited her on this journey.
She had mobilized almost all the Golden Sail Merchant Guild's finest naval forces, even deploying her own flagship, the Siren's Song.
She had prepared herself to pay a terrible price, all to come to his aid.
Just then, the sailor keeping watch in the lookout tower screamed.
"Alarm! High-energy signatures detected underwater! Three... heavens, there are three enormous moving targets!"
Everyone on deck stopped what they were doing.
"They're moving incredibly fast! They're rising straight up from the deep water, directly into our course!" Fear filled the sailor's voice, and the hand holding his magical compass shook uncontrollably.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The magical bell aboard the Siren's Song rang out, shattering the silence and carrying across all five armed merchant ships.
The knights roared as they took their positions along the rails. Heavy ballistae were pushed to the ships' sides, and trembling gunners tightened the winches.
Caroline snatched up a spyglass and looked toward the waters the sailor had indicated.
The sea ahead was